Fairy Tail Chapter 297
by Gravity-Chan
Summary: Levy has never felt so much pain before. One-shot based off of the ending of Fairy Tail chapter 297. *Spoilers for chapter 297 and episode 175*


**So I've been re-reading the Grand Magic Games arc of the manga and watching the anime, and there is this scene in chapter 297 where Levy is writing a letter to Lucy and it made me want to cry! It also inspired this one-shot about Levy and Gajeel in the future where dragons rule the world. I hope you all enjoy it! It's soooo emotional, you might just cry. I almost did on several occasions while I was editing it. Leave a review for me if you liked it, I'm looking forward to seeing all your reactions.**

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><p>Pain.<p>

Pain was all Levy could feel. Searing pain, her muscles screaming in fervent protest. She clutched her forehead, blood running down her nose and dripping off her chin. She knew the gash on her forehead would scar. She had similar wounds on her arms and stomach, each one burning as she struggled to keep on her feet. "Come on, Gajeel!" she called over her shoulder, pleading with her eyes for the black-haired man to speed up. "We don't have much time!"

The iron dragon slayer had one eye closed, grimacing and pressing his palm into his forehead in hopes of slowing the bleeding gash that lay there. "I know already, dammit!" he replied, climbing over what seemed to be the strewn remains of one of the city's buildings.

Crocus was in ruins. There were no buildings left standing, all crushed underfoot by the huge dragons that now patrolled the deep red-black sky. Even now the threat loomed over them, their deafening screeches reaching the ears of the two lone humans.

Levy pressed her lips together, hanging back a moment to let Gajeel catch up. he was breathing hard, exhausted from fighting and from the long trek across the ruined city. She worried; he had lost a lot of blood, and he was slowing down with each step, but they couldn't stop now. Stopping meant certain death for the both of them. As far as she knew, Lucy was the only other survivor, but she had disappeared long ago, leaving only a note to say where she was going and not to follow her. At the moment, she was their only hope of living to see the next season.

Levy met Gajeel halfway, looping her arm under his and around his waist to help support him. "It's not much farther, I promise," she assured. Gajeel gave a small nod in response, fighting to catch his breath, and, slowly but surely, the two of them continued their tiring walk.

A few minutes later, Levy could make out their destination. "There," she murmured, pointing with her free hand. A tiny, crudely made shelter stood not too far away, made from the remains of a fallen building. "It's not much, but it ought to keep us hidden, at least until Wendy comes back and we can get you help."

Gajeel's breath caught in his throat. "Levy, I have something to tell you," he murmured. "Wendy's not… coming back."

Levy froze, her entire body tensing, and her eyes widened. "You don't mean… you can't... " she stuttered, her lip trembling. "Gajeel, what happened to Wendy?!"

Gajeel lowered his head, his hair falling and shielding his eyes from Levy's sight. "She's dead," he replied, deciding not to sugar-coat it. He curled his hand into a fist, his knuckles whitening from the strength of it. "I couldn't protect her… I'm sorry. They got her when I wasn't watching."

Levy whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks, mixing with her blood to leave pink trails on her cheeks. She hastily lifted her arm to wipe the tears away her orange dress tainted pink. "It's not your fault," she whispered, although her voice wavered with emotion. "It's nobody's fault. There was nothing… nothing we could do about it." Her voice caught at the end, fresh tears spilling from her eyes, but she ignored them, focusing on getting Gajeel inside the shelter and out of harm. She helped him to sit down on the ground, propping his upper body in the corner for some kind of rest, and sat down across from him, tucking her legs to her right side and staring down at her lap. "So… what do we do now?" she whispered. "Natsu, Erza, Mirajane, Wendy… they're all dead."

Gajeel's gaze softened, and for the first time in a while, he felt vulnerable. No matter what his power was, he couldn't do anything about it. There were ten thousand dragons outside waiting to kill them. Even if he was a dragon slayer, he wasn't strong enough to kill even one dragon, let alone ten thousand of them. He reached out and touched Levy's shoulder, drawing her gaze up to his. He gave her a rare, reassuring smile, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. "We're Fairy Tail, right? We'll find a way."

It was a rare and odd show of sentiment from the brawny dragon slayer, but Levy would take what she could get. She gave a smile herself, wiping away her tears. It was strange, smiling again. it had been days since she had last smiled so sincerely, and she scooted closer to Gajeel, leaning against the wall with him, seeking his reassuring presence.

Exhausted from her long day, Levy leaned her head on Gajeel's shoulder, the close proximity calming her frazzled nerves, his warmth dulling her fearful shivers. "Thank you," she whispered against the skin of his neck. "I don't know what I would do… if you weren't here with me."

Gajeel felt his heart stir at the tiny bluenette's meaningful words. Her tiny body, sinking quickly into sleep, looked so frail, so breakable, even though he knew she was much stronger than she looked. Reaching out his arm instinctively, he wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, her hair tickling his chin. He wanted her to be safe. He wanted to protect her, more than anything. She was his guildmate, and, admittedly, his closest friend. Maybe even more than Pantherlily was.

More than he had been.

Gajeel clenched his teeth, resisting the urge to punch something and instead focused on the girl, sound asleep in his arms. So much had happened in the few days since Future Rogue's appearance. Even in the peacefulness of sleep, Gajeel could see how much the past few days' events had taken a toll on her. Her skin was an unhealthy pale, she was losing weight, and her hair no longer held its youthful sheen. But she was still strong. She was still Levy.

That night, beneath a blood-red sky, Gajeel Redfox swore revenge on the dragons.

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><p>The next few days continued on much like the former had. The unlikely pair kept on the move at all times, careful to keep out of sight of predators that would swoop in and snatch them up if they let down their guard for even a moment. Gajeel recovered quickly, his major wounds closing up and allowing them to move faster. The two of them kept a steady, tense silence, always on the alert in case they needed to act fast.<p>

This day was a particular fearful one. The land in front of them was mostly barren, burnt grasslands, no places to hide, so they were practically out in the open. Luckily, the dragons preferred to patrol the more populated places, leaving the wasteland they now walked across mostly barren.

Levy halted in her walking for a moment to turn her attention to the sky. The sun was up, turned a sickening blood red by the ash and debris that littered the tainted air. "I think we still have a few hours of daylight left," she commented.

Gajeel paused, turning his gaze to the sun as well. He sniffed the air briefly, frowning. "I can still catch Lucy's scent, but it's really faint. all the ash and dirt is making it hard to track her. I think she came through a day ago. She's still alive. At least for now."

Levy breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," she whispered. Despite the letter's warning, Levy and Gajeel had decided to follow Lucy in her quest. A quest to change the past and save the future. "We should keep going, then. We don't have much more time before the sun sets."

Gajeel nodded agreement, brushing his hair from his face and turning to face Levy. Her heart did a little jump when their eyes met; it was a feeling she'd been having for a while now, one she didn't really understand. "Ready to go?" he asked, his voice gruff and scratchy, probably due to the lack of water they had access to. Many of the rivers and lakes were already poisoned by ash and other debris.

"Yeah, let's go," Levy agreed, jogging a little to catch up with her partner.

Gajeel took the lead, using his dragon-like senses to scout out the area and avoid any trouble they might run into. For another hour, they traveled like this, Gajeel in the lead, his gaze flicking back and forth, Levy behind him, a torn cloak covering her shoulders, the hood drawn up over her head in a crude sort of camouflage.

It was then that Gajeel halted. He was a few feet in front of her, and he paused, levy also hesitated. "Is something wrong?" she called.

Gajeel whirled around, looking panicked. "Get down!" he yelled.

Levy's body froze, her heart clenching in fear. Glancing at the sky, she spotted the source of the interruption; a huge dragon, red and black, barely visible as it blended into the sky. Her breath caught in her throat, and her entire body seemed frozen. Images flashed behind her eyes; Natsu and Erza's bodies, laying broken on the ground, Lucy's agonizing screams, the smell of blood hanging in the air. She was paralyzed.

"Get down!" Gajeel yelled again, digging his toes into the ground and racing towards her. A bright light emanated from the dragon's scales, and after a moment she realized that it was fire. But by then it was too late for her to move. Fire spewed from the dragon's mouth, sizzling off its scales.

Gajeel lunged, pushing Levy's shoulders down and completely covering her with his body. A few meters behind her, the ground erupted in a dazzling display of fire, and then she hit the ground. She gasped as her breath was knocked out of her, leaving her dazed on the ground.

Gajeel sat up, clenching his fists. "Dammit," he growled, glancing around. "There's nowhere to go!"

A stab of fear penetrated Levy's heart, and her hands shook as they clutched the ground. "W-What do we do?" she gasped, her eyes fixed on the dragon circling above them. By the looks of it, it was charging up for another attack.

Gajeel swore under his breath, pushing himself to his feet."Get behind me!" he ordered, tugging Levy to her feet and pushing her behind him. He clenched his fists, holding them up in a defensive fashion.

Levy's eyes widened in realization. "You're going to fight it?" she exclaimed. Memories of Natsu's lifeless body flashed in her mind. "You can't! You'll die!"

"Dammit, woman! Do what I say!" Gajeel ordered. "I know what I'm doing!"

A choked sob escaped Levy's mouth, and she clutched Gajeel's shirt helplessly. She had seen with her own eyes what it meant for a human to fight a dragon, dragon slayer or not. Not one of the seven slayers was able to defeat even one dragon. "Please, don't do this!" she cried. "I can't do this alone! I can't do it without you!"

For a moment, Gajeel smirked, a playful behavior that Levy recognized well. "You know, this isn't how I thought it would go down. I thought my last day would be a long time from now, but I never thought a dragon, of all creatures, would be the end to finish the job. How ironic."

"Stop it!" Levy screamed, closing her eyes tightly, like if she did she would wake up from this bad dream. "Please! You're not going to die! I won't let you!" Tears stained her cheeks, wetting the hot ground beneath them. "Please, stop…"

Gajeel turned around, his stance relaxing. He reached out his arms, his left arm circling Levy's waist, pulling her close, while his right hand moved to the back of her neck tilting her head up to face him. He dipped his head down, hesitating only a short moment before he pressed his lips against hers.

The kiss was short, chaste and rushed, but it still left Levy breathless. Gajeel grinned at her, a rare fondness in his gaze. "You know, I've always wanted to do that," he commented. In an uncharacteristic display of affection, he reached out and brushed away her tears. "As much as I hate to admit it, I trust Lucy. I know she'll be able to open the Eclipse Gate, somehow, and find a way to make all of this better. But she needs your help. You have to survive, for all of us."

"I can't do it," Levy sobbed. "I can't go on all alone. Don't leave me-"

"My time is up." It took a moment for Levy to process the quick whisper, and in that moment, Gajeel shoved her shoulders hard, sending her sprawling backwards and into the dirt. There was a noise like a gunshot, and she gasped as a beam of concentrated white-hot light struck the ground at the left of her head, inches from her ear. The beam was so powerful that it burned straight through the rock, leaving a five-inch hole in the ground.

Gajeel let out a choked sound, his still-standing body jerking once, his front facing Levy. His eyes were wide with shock and indescribable pain. There was a hole in his chest from where the dragon's beam had stabbed him right through the heart, and a thin trail of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.

Levy could barely contain the horrified scream that rose in her throat as Gajeel's body crumpled, his eyes rolling back into his head as his body hit the ground with a dull thump. She knew she couldn't alert the dragon of her presence, even though it probably already knew. her chest ached horribly, and se clutched at her chest with one hand, her other shaking at her side. With nothing else to do, She collapsed at Gajeel's side and closed her eyes tightly, willing the nightmare to end.

Surprisingly, the dragon took no notice of her. perhaps she was too small for a meal, or it only wanted the dragon slayers that threatened its existence. With an ear-splitting screech of victory, the dragon beat its mighty wings and disappeared over the horizon.

Levy waited a full minutes to make sure the dragon was really gone. She pushed herself to her knees, kneeling over Gajeel's fallen form. She could hardly bring herself to look at his face, his lifeless eyes staring at nothing. It was the first time she'd witnessed the death of a person, but she never would have imagined it would be someone as close to her as Gajeel had been. Gajeel was, probably, her closest friend, and he had been her only anchor in a world where she didn't know if her friends were alive or dead. She had been separated from Jet and Droy at the very beginning of the fight, and after this long, she hadn't found their bodies, but she also hadn't found any traces that her guild members were still fighting.

It was only thinking of her missing friends that caused Levy to feel the harsh reality of her situation. She was all alone in this world now. For all she knew, she was the last human being for miles still alive. It was then that Levy broke down all of her walls, all of the fortresses she's been building up over the last few days. She descended into hysteria, Her hands flat against Gajeel's bloodied torso. She cradled his head in her hands, holding it against her chest. His blood stained her orange dress, thick against her skin, but she ignored it, clutching the dead body of her beloved to her as if he might disappear. "Gajeel, Gajeel, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault," she choked out between her sobs "I… I love you." Her entire body shook with the weight of her loss and she prayed to God that he would strike her down so she wouldn't have to feel this misery anymore.

But she had other work to do.

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><p>Levy trudged through the forest of gray trees solemnly, her footsteps kicking up blackened pebbles and sending them clattering across the ground. Her inner voice told her she should be more silent as she walked, but her heart told her she didn't care whether or not she lived or died anymore. Every day was torture for her. She never had a moment's peace. Somehow, remarkably, she had managed to keep on Lucy's trail, recognizing the other mage's footsteps in the ash, or spotting a scrap of cloth or blond hair that she had left behind in her urgency to find the Eclipse Portal.<p>

She felt empty. Without Gajeel by her side, her days were silent, filled only by the sound of her own footsteps echoing meaninglessly in the barren wasteland that was once her home. Her only motivation to live was to see Lucy again. But still, she clung to the tiny spark of hope that Lucy could do it. That she could open the portal and change the past. Then all of this would disappear. It was the only thing she had to look forward too. Then, maybe, if everything went like it was supposed to, she could see Gajeel again.

That night, Levy discovered a house, the only standing building for miles. There was no one left to inhabit it, the items inside strewn about randomly, but at the very back of the house, she found a desk, and on the desk was a neat stack of plain white paper and a quill. Perhaps writing would help her to unravel the turmoil in her heart, if only a little bit.

"_At the time, we were certain we would win,"_ she wrote, her handwriting smooth and neat across the page. "_The last day was a violent battle. Do you remember it, Lu-chan? Then, on July 7th, we lost to destiny. That person died… and she did too… and so did he, even though I loved…"_

That was as far as Levy got before the quill dropped from her hand and she began to cry. _I can't express it in words, Lu-chan! I can't take this anymore… somebody help me!_

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><p>"I've found it! The Eclipse Portal!" A lone blond staired up in awe at the beautiful gates, the doors that would change her world forever. She fingered the clasp of her cloak, and for the first time since the end of the Grand Magic Games, Lucy Heartfilia smiled, a genuine radiant smile. "Natsu… I'm coming for you. I promise." <em>And a Celestial Mage always keeps her promises.<em>

Reaching her hand into her cloak, she produced a ring of keys, mostly gold with a few silver, and lifted them up as if offering them to the door. Closing her eyes, she silently willed her magic to open the gate. The keys glowed faintly for a moment, pulsating with white light, and there was a loud click before the keys settled once more, jingling softly.

Lucy smiled once more, her eyes glittering. "I've done it!" she cried racing towards the portal. "The gate to the past… Eclipse! It's open!" She watched with bright eyes as she doors cracked open and gradually drew apart until there was enough space for her to step through and enter another time. "I'm coming, so just wait a little bit longer!"

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><p>When Levy opened her eyes next, she was greeted by warm sunlight filtering in through her window. Frowning, she realized that she must have fallen asleep on the desk out of pure exhaustion. Upon further examination, though, she realized that she was laying on something soft, with a blanket draped over her shoulders. For a moment, she didn't even question it, just reveled in the feeling of comfort and peace she felt. What was going on? Sitting up, she realized that she was sitting what would have been her apartment in Fairy Hills. Her eyes widened. "What… is this?" she wondered aloud. "Fairy Hills was destroyed, I'm certain…"<p>

Something was definitely different about today. She stood up and went into the bathroom, turning to her appearance. She sucked in a surprised breath when she realized that her suspicions were right; she was wearing her pajamas, blood-free, and while her hair was still as wild as ever, if looked clean and well cared for. her skin looked better as well, having regained its color, and her eyes were no longer bloodshot from crying and lack of sleep. "Is this a dream?" she breathed, touching her cheeks gently with her hands. her skin was smooth, no longer chafed and raw.

Leaving the bathroom, Levy hurried to her dresser and changed out of her pajamas, grabbing a sweatshirt as she ran out of the apartment. She took the stairs two at a time, nearly falling on a few occasions, and ran out the door, turning to face the city. Magnolia was standing again, and beyond it, she could see green fields and sakura trees in full bloom. Tears pricked the corners of her eye when her gaze landed on the guild.

It had never looked so beautiful before. She tore down the hillside not even bothering to apologize as she barreled through the crowds of people. When she reached the doors she didn't hesitate to throw them open.

When she saw the sight in front of her, Levy nearly fainted out of sheer happiness. The guild was a wreck, tables and chairs strewn willy-nilly around the main hall. In the center of the guild was a brawl, the center of it being Natsu and Gray. Erza had also joined the fray, yelling something about avenging her strawberry cake, and Levy swore she had never been so happy to see the three of them hurting each other before.

"Levy-chan!" Levy's attention as drawn by a very familiar voice and she turned to see Lucy waving at her from where she sat at a table with Natsu and Happy. The blonde looked more serene than she had ever been, and Levy could see how close she was to her partner so close that their arms brushed each other. Levy approached the table with a bright smile, embracing Lucy tightly as she did.

"You did it, Lucy! You did it!" she cried, reaching up to wipe away her tears. She had cried enough the last few days to last her a lifetime.

Lucy smiled radiantly, nodding. "And it worked. They're all here. Natsu, Erza, Jet and Droy, Wendy."

Levy's smile faltered for a moment, and she grabbed Lucy's shoulders urgently. "Where's Gajeel? Is he here?" she asked desperately.

Lucy giggled, smiling knowingly. "Relax, Levy-chan. He's over there, with Pantherlily. You know he's been watching you the whole time."

Levy whirled around, following Lucy's pointed hand to where the black-haired dragon slayer was indeed sitting, in the very corner of the guild that was his customary spot, Pantherlily sitting atop the table with him. Like Lucy had said, he was still watching her, his signature frown on his face, his arms crossed defiantly. Levy had never been so happy to see anyone in her life.

This was too real to be a dream. Everything was so vivid, so precise, it had to be real. She wove her way through the crowd of her guildmates to the table where Gajeel waited for her, tucking a strand of her blue hair behind her ear and wishing she had brought a headband with her to tame her wild locks. This thought quickly receded to the back of her mind when she reached the table, though. "Tell me I'm not dreaming, please," she murmured, her smile threatening to split her face in two.

Gajeel snorter humorously, standing up to meet her. "I told ya Bunny Girl had it in her. You should listen to me more often," he advised with a smirk.

Without warning, Levy flung her arms around Gajeel's middle, pressing her face into his chest. "I missed you. So much," she whispered, her voice wavering with emotion.

Gajeel pulled his hands back instinctively, looking flustered and a little uncomfortable. "Oi, what's the big idea?" he asked, pushing her away gently and refusing to meet her gaze. "It's only been a day, keep it together."

Levy pouted, placing her hands on her hips. "You were dead! How am I supposed to react that that?" she demanded. "God Gajeel, for once, let me have my moment!"

"I don't know, dammit! But this is embarrassing!" Gajeel insisted.

As much as levy tried to stay angry at Gajeel, she couldn't. Not when he was here, standing in front of her, alive. Her frown broke into a content smile. "Alright, fine. You win this time, but don't think I won't continue this conversation later," she relented with a playful edge to her voice, taking a seat at his table.

Gajeel sat down beside her, leaning back and crossing his legs. For a moment the two just sat there in content silence, then Gajeel snuck a glance at her sideways. She was sitting with her hands in her lap, quietly observing the goings-on of the guild with a content expression on her face. Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand in his own. Her pale hand was completely dwarfed by his own, but somehow it seemed to still fit perfectly, her smooth skin soft against his rough palm. Levy flashed him a small smile and threaded her fingers through his, squeezing his hand lightly, and he felt his heart do a little jump.

Who knew holding hands with Levy would feel like this?


End file.
